|DICASTIO|

When it comes to Christmas, one of the best things about it is the wonderful smells it brings. Of course, those smells don't just appear on their own. You need to invite them into your home. You can make a simmering potpourri, for instance. You can also use candles and oils to create your favorite Christmas scents or make items that you can use around your home that also smell good.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Making a Simmering Potpourri

Pick some of your favorite scents. The key to simmering potpourri on the stove is to pick scents that remind you of Christmas. Some people enjoy something subtle, such as oranges and thyme.^[1] However, you can use whatever combination you want, including cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cranberries, and clippings of pine.^[2]
Add them all to a pot. Place the items in a pot big enough to hold them. With spices, you can use whole spices, like cinnamon sticks or whole cloves, or just ground spices if that's all you have. Pour in enough water to cover everything.^[3]
Boil and simmer the potpourri. Bring the pot up to a boil on the stove. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat until it just maintains a simmer. You can simmer the potpourri all day, but you'll need to add water throughout the day as it evaporates from the pot.^[4]

[Edit]Adding Scent Through Candles and Oils

Make your own peppermint spray. Add 8 ounces of distilled water to a small spray bottle. Squeeze 20 drops of peppermint essential oil into the bottle. Place the lid back on, and shake the bottle well. Once it's mixed, spray it around your home. You can even use it on fabric.^[5]
- You can also use cinnamon oil (three drops), pine oil (three drops), and orange oil (four drops) as a spray. Mix it with six tablespoons of water and one of vodka.
Burn candles. One simple way to add scent to your home is to burn candles that remind you of Christmas, such as cinnamon apple or pine. You can also make your own simple candle by adding any oil that burns (including vegetable oil) to a mason jar. Add a lantern wick, and your favorite scents from your kitchen or essential oil cabinet, such as cinnamon or clove.^[6]
Try a wax warmer. Another option to add scent to your home is to use a wax warming system. These systems often don't require an open flame, so they are safer to have on. You simply plug them in, turn them on, then add scented wax to the warming area. The wax releases happy Christmas smells into your home.
Create your own diffuser. Start with a small glass bottle. Add water to the bottle, filling it most of the way. Add drops of your favorite essential oils that remind you of Christmas, such as cinnamon, clove, orange, and cedarwood. Also add in two tablespoons of vodka. Finally, drop in a handful of bamboo skewers, which will diffuse the scent into the air.^[7]

[Edit]Creating Useful Scents

Make scented fire starters. Fire starters help get your fire going more quickly, plus these add a nice scent to your home. Start by placing scented items in paper cupcake liners, such as cinnamon sticks, pine cones, rosemary, bay leaves, and cloves. Use a piece of cotton lint, and center it in the middle of the liners. You can let it hang over the edge; it doesn't need to be perfectly centered. Finally, pour in melted beeswax or soy wax. Let it cool, and you've got scented fire starters in your fireplace.^[8]
- You can also simply add a drop of cinnamon essential oil per log in the fire before you light it up.^[9]
Mull some wine. Mulled wine is a warming winter drink. Add four cups (0.94 liters) of apple juice, a bottle of red wine (750 milliliters), 1/4 cup (59 milliliters) of honey, the zest and juice of an orange, and your choice of spices to a pot. You can use 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 whole cloves, and 3 star anise. Bring to a low simmer, and let it heat for about 10 minutes before serving. This mixture will create an enticing smell, as well as make a great drink for guests.^[10]
- You can also do all apple juice if kids are enjoying the drink, too.^[11]
Make your own sachets. Sew up scraps of fabric into small bags, and then stuff them with the scraps leftover from your Christmas tree trimmings. Some tree lots may let you pick up trimmings for free if you don't have a fresh tree. Sew the trimmings into the bags, and place them around your house for a fresh scent.^[12]
Create a scented garland. Garlands are lovely to look at, and if you do them properly, you can add a hint of Christmas to the air. Start by slicing apples and oranges. Then, make a thick dough out of cinnamon, cloves, and applesauce. Roll it out, and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Bake the fruit and "cookies" on a low heat (250 degrees Fahrenheit) in the oven until they dry out (or use a dehydrator). String them up together.^[13]
- Alternatively, you can use this same method to make a homemade potpourri. That is, make the dried fruits as you did above. Mix them with whole, dried spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise to make a homemade potpourri.^[14]
Use scented pine cones. You can pick up pine cones that are already scented from your local craft store. Alternatively, you can find your own pine cones and scent them yourself. All you need to do is spritz them with a bit of cinnamon essential oil or spray. Place the pine cones around your home in small groups.^[15]
Make spiced oranges. Also called pomanders, these beauties have been used since the Middle Ages. All you need to do is poke holes in oranges or grapefruit with a toothpick or skewer. Poke a whole clove into each hole, and use the completed fruit to decorate your home.^[16]